N.C. State names Matt McKay starting QB for opener vs. ECU

Monday

Aug 26, 2019 at 1:41 PMAug 26, 2019 at 2:26 PM

RALEIGH — N.C. State will go with the most experienced quarterback on its roster to start the 2019 season on Saturday against East Carolina.

Coach Dave Doeren announced Monday that Raleigh sophomore Matthew McKay will be under center for the opening snap at Carter-Finley Stadium following an intense preseason battle with Florida State transfer Bailey Hockman and redshirt freshman Devin Leary. McKay, who attended Wakefield High School, saw action in six games last season as the backup to record-setting Ryan Finley. Hockman, a highly regarded recruit out of Powder Springs, Georgia, was redshirted in his only year at Florida State.

Doeren said McKay's accuracy, leadership and decision-making from spring practice and through the preseason eventually won him the starting assignment for the 2019 season opener. The staff made the decision to start McKay "four-five days'' ago, according to Doeren, but informed the trio of the decision Sunday.

"You can look at, we do anyway, the quarterbacks in three ways,'' Doeren said. "Your offensive systems and their mastery of that. Their situational IQ and how they apply the game of football to situational football, and then their ability to recognize defensive structure. Throughout the spring this is an area Matt has just had a lead.''

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound McKay threw for almost 6,000 yards and rushed for 2,386 yards during a three-year varsity career at Wakefield High. He made a verbal commitment to play for the Wolfpack in February 2016 while still a junior over scholarship offers from Old Dominion, Pittsburgh, Temple and West Virginia. McKay redshirted as a true freshman at N.C. State in 2017, but still managed to distinguish himself by earning Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year honors.

With the NFL-bound Finley at the helm in 2018, McKay was used sparingly but did compete 7 of 8 passes for 87 yards, while also rushing for 40 yards and a score.

Doeren didn't rule out the possibility of Hockman and Leary seeing action against East Carolina or later this season. But he believes it's important to allow McKay to play without looking over his shoulder.

"I don't have a plan to go in and say, 'This series this guy is going in,' '' Doeren said. "What we haven't seen from these guys is game day. I have to see how it goes. I'm not going to have a quick hook. I don't think that's fair to a kid. There are going to be mistakes, whoever it is. You have to let them get into the flow of the game and learn from what's going on. We'll see where it goes, but the other guys have to be ready.''

In-state battle

N.C. State hammered East Carolina in the final game of the 2018 season at Carter-Finley Stadium by a 58-3 score. But that was just days after the school had relieved head coach Scottie Montgomery of his duties.

The Pirates are now coached by Mike Houston, who was head coach at James Madison, which the Wolfpack edged 24-13 in last year's season opener at Carter-Finley. Doeren believes under Houston's tutelage it'll be a much different ECU team coming to Raleigh on Saturday.

"We played them at the end of the season with a different staff,'' Doeren said. "A lot players didn't play in that game for them, particularly on offense. There is a familiarity in a way because we played them, but at the same time it's a different system, different staff and a lot of different personnel. I really respect their staff. Mike Houston was a great hire for them. So I expect this to be a hard-fought, four-quarter game.''

A sellout crowd of more than 57,000 is expected at Carter-Finley for the noon kickoff. The game will be televised on the new ACC Network.

Staff writer Sammy Batten can be reached at sbatten@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3534.

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